1868 U.S. Presidential Election

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President Abraham Lincoln would be easily renominated at the Whig Convention in Richmond, Virginia. For all the fire that his internal improvements had taken from his critics within the Whig Party, he won heftily on the first round of balloting. "I am glad to see that my fellow Whigs have said yes to four more years! Yes to Manifest Destiny, yes to a railroad from sea to shining sea!" There was an effort by disgruntled delegates, mainly those hailing from the "Old Guard" to nominate George Pendleton, but that was resoundingly defeated, along with a quixotic bid by William Walker. In addition, some delegates moved to capitalize on the divide within the Radicals by nominating outsider Horace Greeley, but this did not take. Vice President Seymour was nominated almost unanimously.

The Union Convention was more contentious. President Hale's landslide defeat and the fracturing with the Radicals had left the party in the political wilderness, some curious as to its long term viability. Governor Ulysses Grant, the party's erstwhile Vice Presidential nominee, was seen as the favorite going into the convention. However, dogged by his support of a military presence in the South and his questionable ethics as Governor of Florida. Thomas F. Bayard was seen as an alternative. A supporter of the gold standard, he was in agreement with the party's position of further reducing the military presence in the post-War South. His support of civil service reform made some establishment Unionists wary, but after winning a plurality at the convention, he selected Zachariah Chandler as a means of balancing the party, while also attempting to reach out to Radicals.

Lastly, there was the Radical Convention. Formerly the Manifesters, the party was rebranded with the political marriage of Mormon activists and what some would call "Radical Unionists," forming the Radicals. Senator Charles Sumner, though losing, had drawn as many votes as the once formidable Union Party. He sought the party's nomination once more, but was defeated by former nominee Brigham Young in an upset. Some suspect that the anti-Mormon crackdowns of Whig Governors in the West had whet Mormons' desire for equal treatment, causing them to spurn the Massachusetts Senator out of distrust. As a means of compromising with these new elements, Brigham Young selected Activist Horace Greeley as his running mate.

Three days.

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Lincoln

And it's nice to know the Party of Adams has now nominated someone who IRL opposed the Civil War much of Reconstruction, including the Civil Rights Acts.

What does "IRL" mean?

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Lincoln

And it's nice to know the Party of Adams has now nominated someone who IRL opposed the Civil War much of Reconstruction, including the Civil Rights Acts.

What does "IRL" mean?

I think it refers to some alternate universe where Lincoln was president during the Civil War.

A mere extrapolation on my part - I can't imagine Sen. Bayard supporting the Enforcement Acts what with his position on federal troops in the South. Hell, I don't see how any alternate universe could be so morally wrongheaded as to keep delaying on the issue of slavery for 30 or so more years.

Yet you voted for Lincoln, who signed the "Compromise of 1867" (as mentioned in the Convention thread) which also reduces military spending in the South.

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Noted, Zioneer. How does gold sound? Or perhaps if I bolded it?

Also, in response to Cathcon and Alfred, I don't mind including Chase in the next one, but in real life he died in 1873. I tried doing some research but nothing indicates it was anything but natural causes.

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President Abraham Lincoln (Whig-Illinois)/Vice President Horatio Seymour (Whig-New York) 250 electoral votes, 50.00% of the popular vote
Senator Thomas F. Bayard (Union-Delaware)/Senator Zachariah Chandler (Union-Michigan) 50 electoral votes, 32.00% of the popular vote
Former Governor Brigham Young (Radical-Iowa)/Activist Horace Greeley (Radical-New York) 8 electoral votes, 18.00% of the popular vote

1872 to be posted tomorrow.

Also, in response to Cathcon, Bayard became a Senator in 1865 ITTL.